November 2: It's Time to Vote Your Values

Democracy. It's based on your right to vote. The ACLU is making sure that your rights and liberties are protected at the ballot box, and all the way home.

This election, check out our voting recommendations on statewide ballot initiatives and San Francisco propositions, below, and be sure to know your voting rights with our California Voter Empowerment Guide.

ACLU-NC's Statewide Voter Guide

• Proposition 19: Vote YES (Tax, regulate and control marijuana)
  Prop 19 is one of the Nov. 2010 ballot measures that the ACLU is watching closely. It's a crucial opportunity for California to do something about the failed war on drugs. This initiative would make it legal under state law for any adult 21+ to have a small amount of marijuana for personal use. A Yes vote on Prop 19 would help fix the broken system of racial disparities in marijuana law enforcement. Young men of color are far more likely than young white men, for example, to be arrested for having small amounts of marijuana, even though usage rates are the same. That's not fair. Voting Yes on Prop 19 also means that police could focus their scare resources on preventing and solving serious crimes. Read more »

• Proposition 20: Vote NO
  Expands the Mandate of the Citizens Redistricting Commission to Congressional Districts. It is an open question whether the Citizens Redistricting Commission will be a fair and effective means of determining electoral boundaries. There are significant concerns about whether minorities will be adequately represented on the Commission and whether the standards used by the commission will be fair.  

• Proposition 25: Vote YES
  Changes Legislative Vote Requirement to Pass Budget from 2/3 Majority to Simple Majority. Passage of the state’s budget each year should not require a super-majority. This requirement unfairly privileges those who do not want to pass the budget and is a central impediment to our state’s budget process.  

• Proposition 26: Vote NO
  Requires 2/3 Majority Vote for Fees, Levies, & Tax Revenues in the Budget. Approval of fees, levies, & taxes in the state’s budget each year should not require a super-majority.  This requirement would unfairly privilege those who do not want to support the fees, levies, or taxes and would be an impediment to our state’s budget process.

• Proposition 27: No position
  Eliminates the Citizens Redistricting Commission. The ACLU is neither supporting nor opposing Proposition 27. While the utility of the Citizens Redistricting Commission has not yet been proven, it may be too soon to dismantle it since it is not yet operational.

ACLU-NC's San Francisco Voting Guide

• San Francisco Proposition D: Vote YES
  Non-Citizen Voting in SF School Board Elections. This would allow non-citizens age 18 or older who have children in the San Francisco public schools to vote in elections for the San Francisco School Board.  This would give all parents a voice in their education and is consistent with basic fairness since immigrants pay taxes and deserve to have a say in school issues.

• San Francisco Proposition E: Vote YES
  Same Day Voter Reigstration for SF Elections. This measure aims to remove certain barriers to voting.  The ACLU-NC supports the right of residents who are eligible to vote and who have valid identification to register to vote on Election Day at their polling place.  Extending voter registration up to Election Day may increase civic participation.

• San Francisco Proposition L: Vote NO
  "Sit/Lie" Ordinance. This ordinance prohibits anyone from sitting or lying on any public sidewalk in San Francisco between 7 am and 11 pm. This law criminalizes innocent conduct for the purpose of expanding police discretion; will result in selective and discriminatory enforcement; and burdens First Amendment rights.

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